SmartCheck
Certifying what a web page said
A price, a condition or a post that may be gone tomorrow.
What is published online changes without warning. A price, terms of service, a product sheet, a social post: the screenshot you took proves little on its own, because anyone can fabricate one.
What turns a screenshot into evidence
| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A provable date | Without it there is just an image with no moment |
| That it cannot be altered afterwards | It is what removes the suspicion of retouching |
| The exact address | "It was on their site" points at nothing |
| Who captured it | Evidence without an author weighs half |
Important
The first is what actually settles the dispute. The argument is never whether the page says that today: it is whether it said it on the day you decided something based on it.
When it is worth doing
How to do it
- 1
Capture the full page, not a crop
A crop leaves out context and that is the first thing disputed.
- 2
Note the exact address and time
The full address, not the site's homepage.
- 3
Certify the file on upload
That fixes that it existed at that moment and has not changed since.
- 4
And keep it in the matter's file
Loose evidence nobody can find two years later is worth nothing.
Watch out
Certifying a capture proves that file existed on that date and has not changed. It does not prove the page was genuine or unmanipulated at capture time: for that, when a lot is at stake, the notarial route exists and remains the most solid.
The same applies to other ephemeral things
A message that can be deleted, an advert that is pulled, a document posted temporarily: the mechanics are identical and so is the value. What matters is doing it when you see it, not when the dispute starts — by then it has usually gone.
Worth knowing
Certifying is an action and consumes like any other. Even so, it is infinitely cheaper than reconstructing something that no longer exists.
›Does it stand up in court?
It provides date and non-alteration, which is a lot. Final weight is for the court to decide.
›What if the site requires a login?
You can still capture it; it helps to show you were legitimately inside.
›Do I need to certify daily?
No: only when the content matters for a decision or a claim.
A real case
The situation
A company buys on published terms that later change.
What you do
- Had certified the page on the day of the order
- Produces the dated file when claiming
What you get
The claim is settled on what the site said that day, not on what it says now.
The situation
A condition on a website changes and can no longer be proved.
What you do
- Seals the capture the day it is consulted
What you get
What it said becomes provable.
The situation
A screenshot is kept with no provable date.
What you do
- Seals the capture as well as keeping it
What you get
The date does not depend on the computer.
The situation
Only part of the page is captured.
What you do
- Captures the whole page with its address
What you get
Context accompanies the proof.
The situation
It is sealed months after being seen.
What you do
- Seals at the moment of consultation
What you get
The seal proves when it was seen.
The situation
A price published on a date must be proved.
What you do
- Seals the consultation that day
What you get
That day's price is on record.
This article answers
- certify the contents of a web page
- prove what a website said on a date
- screenshot with evidential value
- capture a post before it is deleted